


Don’t Say I Never Gave You Anything

by posiexhandon



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Josie/Penelope Relationship, M/M, Penelope/Josie Relationship, posie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22061116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posiexhandon/pseuds/posiexhandon
Summary: Josie Saltzman was well on her way to becoming valedictorian, it was her dream. She was in every school club as well as the president of the junior class. She's also the best tutor in the entire school. In fact, when she was a freshman, she convinced the administration to keep the old wood shop building and turn it into a tutoring center. She had a reputation for turning bad academic seeds into A+ students, so why wouldn't she be the one all teachers turn to when they have a student failing their class?Enter Penelope Park, captain and star of the school's varsity soccer team. When her grades in American History start to slip, her coach won't allow her to play. She has to play on the team because it means scouts will come to see her and that's all her dad talks about. How she needs to get a soccer scholarship so she can go to a good school and get a good education. Not that her family couldn't afford college, it's just for Penelope, scholarships meant options. Options meant distance and that's all she wanted, she wanted to get out of this little town and explore the world.Except.. what happens when you meet someone, and they impact you so greatly, that your dreams suddenly change?
Relationships: Jed/Rafael Waithe, Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson, Milton "MG" Greasley/Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 62
Kudos: 272





	1. The Tutoring Center

I walked into the tutoring center, like I do every Thursday afternoon, and made my way to my usual table. I thought I was going to be able to get a couple weeks off from having to tutor since midterms are done but unfortunately Mr. Fringe requested for me specifically to tutor one of his students. Apparently one of the girls on the soccer team was failing American History and was about to be put on academic suspension from the team. I can handle the male jocks in this school, it’s easy to hold their attention with the right persuasion. Girl jocks on the other hand? Well that’s just it, they’re girls and jocks. Mix in the cattiness of females and the competitive nature of jocks? To say they are difficult would be the biggest understatement. Plus the fact that the girls soccer team has practice until 4pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, meant my normal tutoring sessions were pushed back, so instead of starting at 3pm I have to start at 5pm. _Great._

Once I reached my table, I started laying out the materials for American History. As soon as I was done unpacking everything I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find Mr. Fringe, so I greeted him with a friendly hello but then my eyes fell to the student next to him. _Oh god no, not her, anyone but her_. The captain of the soccer team herself, Penelope Park. She’s always made fun of me for being a _nerd_ (politically correct term is actually _academically inclined_ ) and now I have to tutor this girl? This has got to be a new kind of torture specifically designed for me because I refused to help Lizzie out with the musical this year.

“Ms. Saltzman I’m sure you’re familiar with Ms. Park here. She’s failing my class and needs to pass the next 3 chapter tests with at least 80% each in order for her grade to go up just enough for her to remain on the soccer team.” Mr. Fringe said as he “introduced” us.

I looked her up and down then gave her a nod, to which she returned and caused my stomach to flutter. Okay, let me tell you something about this girl. Yes she’s always insulted me for my work ethic, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate her beauty. And I appreciated her beauty, _a lot_. This short, olive skinned girl with short, raven colored hair could make my knees wobble with just one look. Her deep green eyes were probably the biggest benefactor in doing that to me but whenever I caught them, it was always so hard to look away. That is until she says some sort of insult and reminds me of why I hate her.

“Okay, let’s get started. Go ahead and take a seat at the opposite side of the table.” I told Penelope then sat in my seat as Mr. Fringe left us to it. As soon as he walked away, Penelope popped a bubble with her gum, then pulled a chair up next to me. _Already disobeying my directions I see._

“Uh, I distinctly asked you to take your seat on the other side of the table.” I told her without looking at her. I inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly to let her know that she was already annoying me. In case she forgot, she’s here to be tutored and me being here is completely voluntary.

“I work better in close proximity.” Penelope responded as she leaned back against her chair, crossed her left leg over her right then folded her arms. I didn’t look right at her but I could see her out of the corner of my eye. _How did she make such a normal pose look front cover worthy?_

“Oh yeah? Well I work better face to face. So, take your seat across the table or this session is over.” I told her firmly. I glanced at her and we both squared our eyes at each other for a moment before her lips curved slightly into a smirk. I didn’t realize I held my breath until she licked her lips and stood up, because I let out the slightest exhale at the same exact time she did that. _Get a grip Josie, she’s just another jock you’re tutoring_. She finally sat across from me, placed her arms on the table and leaned forward, blowing another bubble with her gum before popping it once more.

“Um.. right uh. So the chapters that the tests will be on that you need to pass are on Franklin Roosevelt, World War II and the Cold War. I’ve made an outline of each chapter with the different topics laid out. We’ve already been learning these topics in class, so I printed up a mock test for you because I need to gauge your current knowledge set on the topics.” I said rather quickly. I just wanted this session to be over because it felt like she was picking me apart and I hated that feeling. I laid the test out in front of her with a pencil, she stared down at it and then looked back up at me, pushing the test and pencil back towards me with a smile.

“I don’t do written tests. It’s too time consuming to write what I know.” She said then leaned back against her chair again.

“Well written tests are required, so if you’ll please..” I pushed the test back to her but she just shook her head and cut me off.

“How about an oral test instead? I work better with my mouth than my hands anyway.” She said while leaning forward into the table, smirking at me again.

“Uh.. that’s not how this works..” I told her. I couldn’t help it, my eyes found hers again and although I was trying my best to tear my eyes away from hers, they just wouldn’t. I didn’t even realize I gulped until Penelope bit her bottom lip.

“I don’t do so well with rules. Ask the questions on your little mock test, or whatever, and I’ll answer them. If I pass, we call it a day. If I don’t, we still call it a day.” She flashed a smile at me and raised her eyebrows at the same time. _Why did it have to be Penelope fucking Park?_

“Fine. First question, what battle marks the turning point of World War II in the Pacific Theater?” I asked and waited. Penelope cocked her head up to the ceiling as if she was thinking the question over.

“Pearl Harbor?” She answered haphazardly and I shook my head.

“Wrong. Second question, what impact did World War II have on the American economy?” I asked and she just shrugged before folding her arms, a smile still on her face while I was beginning to seethe.

“Alright, third question. What agreement was reached by Hitler and Stalin so that their countries committed to never attack each other?” I asked another question even though it was no use.

“A non-disclosure agreement.” Penelope jokingly answered and snickered as she flipped her hair out of her face and then tilted her head, waiting for me to ask another question so she can give me another stupid answer. I closed the textbook and began packing my things, my anger obviously showing.

“You know what? I don’t need to be here. I’m not the one that’s going to lose their position because they’re failing. You need me more than I need you, so good luck on passing your tests.” I snapped at her. Once I had everything packed, I threw on my bag and turned away but her hand caught mine after just a few steps.

“Midway. Permanently ended the Great Depression. Non-aggression Pact.” She said and I couldn’t believe it, those answers were all correct. I let out a sigh and turned to face her but she still didn’t let go of my hand.

“If you knew the answers, why didn’t you just say them?” I asked her before pulling my hand away. She looked at me, bit her bottom lip and smiled once more. _Why does she have to do that? It’s so distracting._

“Because where’s the fun in that?” She answered. Was this how it was going to be like with her? There’s no way we’d make any progress if she doesn’t even try to make an effort.

“I’m sorry Penelope but if this is going to work, you are gonna have to try. I refuse to give you my time if you aren’t going to give me anything in return because that’s not how this works..” I exhaled then continued before she could say anything.

“Same time tomorrow, don’t be late and come prepared.” I told her.

She nodded without saying a word and I could see it then, the slight worry in her forehead when she scrunched her eyebrows together. She needed this, she needed to pass, she needed to be spared of academic suspension because she needed to be on that team. She may be a pain in the ass, but something tells me there’s more to her than she lets on. I looked at her one more time then turned around and walked away.

 _She’s just another one of your tutoring students. Don’t go and try uncovering the person she is. That’s not what you want and that’s not what she wants. That’s not what this is_ , I told myself, but somehow, I couldn’t help feeling like I’ve just entered a ride I might not be tall enough for and a ride that I might not want to get off of.


	2. The First Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday's initial tutoring session (if you can even call it that) with Penelope has left Josie a little confused to say the least. Josie's the kind of girl that likes to have a handle on things and already she knew that Penelope is going to mess that up for her. But does she secretly want her to? Yesterday's events left something more to be desired so who knows what may happen with today's session... that is, if a tutoring session actually does take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and some kudos if you'd like me to continue this work. I'd also appreciate all the constructive criticism you can give because I really want to improve.

It was Friday, the day after. I walked into my AP Chemistry class and tried to focus at the lab assignment we were given today. It’s a good thing Alyssa Chang knew what she was doing otherwise I would’ve mixed the wrong chemicals and probably blow up the entire building. Okay, I’m being dramatic, I’d probably cause a small fire in the lab but nothing more. Why was I so distracted you ask? Well, I actually couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t know what it was but yesterday’s meeting with Penelope just left something more to be desired and I don’t know why. I mean I hate her. _I do hate her, right?_ I questioned myself. Do you now see the inner battle I’ve been having? So yeah, that’s why I wasn’t able to focus, because I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Class was finally about to end so I helped Alyssa clean up and put away all the lab equipment. It was the last class of the day, which would mean I could have some time to prepare for today’s session, since Penelope still had to attend soccer practices. I know we should probably cover the stuff she seems to know first just to get it out of the way, but Mr. Fringe’s next test is actually on the Cold War, so we’ll have to focus on that first if she’s going to pass. The bell rang and I immediately grabbed my stuff then made my way over to the tutoring center.

“Ah Ms. Saltzman, you’re here early.” I was greeted by Mr. Fringe as soon as I walked into the tutoring center.

“Um, yeah. I figured I could study for a bit before today’s session with Penelope.” I said through gritted teeth but I don’t think he noticed.

“That’s a good idea. How did last night’s session go? Is she at least a C+ student yet?” Mr. Fringe joked and I just gave a nervous laugh.

“Ha, yeah. Well, she’s definitely a work in progress.” I answered as I rubbed the back of my neck nervously then walked around him to find my usual table. I dropped my bag on the floor and slumped into my usual seat then buried my head into my hands. _Josie pull yourself together! All she did was grab your hand to stop you from leaving. That’s all, nothing more, nothing less._

“But why would she want to stop me from leaving..?” I asked myself out loud since no one else was around. Or so I thought.

“You talking to yourself Saltzman?” Her voice came out of nowhere and I nearly jumped out of my seat. I collected myself and turned my head to find Penelope walking over and slinking down into the chair across from me. Already with her signature pose, left leg over her right and folded arms. For a moment the words got caught in my throat but I finally managed an answer.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” I asked, completely ignoring her question. I was actually trying to forget that she had heard me say anything at all.

“You’re supposed to be tutoring me, did you forget? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one here.” She fired back at me as she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t you have practice.” I said it mostly as a statement than a question because I honestly didn’t want her to answer that. Remember that inner battle I was having? Yup, still having it right now. I wanted her to leave so I can have some time to myself, but at the same time I wanted her to stay. I wanted her to keep confusing me. I wanted to be both annoyed and intrigued by her. Or, did I want something _more?_

“Coach said Tuesday and Thursday practices are mandatory for me. Fridays I just pick up the play book and focus on my studies. So, what have you got for me today?” Penelope answered normally. No snark or rude comment.

“Um. Why don’t you take out your textbook and go through chapter 17. The next test is on the Cold War so we’ll cover that first. Read through the chapter and then we’ll go through some flash cards that I’m going to prepare right now.” I told her as I began fishing through my bag for some flash cards, pens and highlighters.

“I also want you to use these.” I handed her the highlighters and page arrow stickers. She looked at me like I was completely off my rocker but hey, if she wants to pass, then she’ll have to do what I say.

“I have a better idea. What are you doing this weekend?” Penelope asked me as she casually disregarded my highlighters and page stickers.

“Why is that even relevant right now?” I asked a question right back then folded my arms, squaring my eyes at her.

“Just answer the damn question, Saltzman.” She answered me and I could see her shoulders tense for just a moment then relax again. _What was that about?_ I didn’t answer right away. We were staring into each other’s eyes, almost as if we were challenging each other. What exactly were we challenging each other for though? I had no idea and honestly this is the whole reason why I kept tossing and turning last night and why I’ve been distracted all day. But, I finally let up and answered.

“I’m helping Lizzie with decorations for the musical she’s directing.” I said flatly. It wasn’t really true though. She had asked for my help but I was still debating if I’d help because I didn’t feel like spending a whole day with her and MG. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy their company, it’s just that they show way too much PDA and I just get uncomfortable because Lizzie’s my sister. I don’t need to be around when she’s in that kind of mood with her boyfriend. I’m not anti-PDA, I just believe that there’s a certain amount where it becomes too much, you know?

“Cancel, because you and I, are going on a road trip. Tell your folks that you’re spending the weekend over because I need a lot of help for this test.” She told me and shifted in her seat just slightly to pull her phone out. I don’t know who she was texting but it felt a little rude.

“I just told my parents that I’ll be over at your place this weekend.” She told me then put her phone away. It honestly felt like I wasn’t even a tutor with the way she just switches things up out of the blue.

“Okay hold on, what exactly is this idea of yours?” I asked. It wasn’t the question I wanted to ask but it was the first one that I blurted out. I mean, I had so many other more pressing questions like why would she think I’d go anywhere with her or why I’d choose to spend time with her over helping my sister with something that’s important to her.

“We’re gonna go spend a day at the National Museum of American History, take the tours and then come back. Test me on the material and if I still don’t know my stuff, well then you can just give me the answers to the test.” She jokingly told me but she smiled at me at the same time, a genuine smile. How could I tell? Because her eyes showed excitement rather than mischief.

“You want me to sit in a car with you for 5 hours while we drive up to Washington D.C. to go to a museum for American History, when we have a perfectly good text book right in front of us, which we can use to get the same education?” I asked sarcastically.

“I’m more of a physical person. Being physically immersed in the history is your best bet to get me to learn everything needed for the upcoming tests. Don’t you want me to succeed? Isn’t that what a tutor would want for their student?” She asked while tilting her head slightly to the right and cocking her eyebrows at me. I pursed my lips and shook my head at her, annoyed with the fact that she’s completely right. A tutor needs to cater to the way their students learn since it is a one on one interaction. _Ugh why did she have to be right?!_

“Fine.. but only on one condition. If you fail Mr. Fringe’s test on Tuesday, then this.” I made a hand gesture that explained I meant us having tutoring sessions.

“Is over. If you fail even one test, you’re on probation and if that happens then there’s no point to continue this at all, at least with me. Meaning you’ll need to find yourself another tutor.” I told her firmly. She nodded and held her hand out.

“Deal.” She responded. I stared at her hand for a moment then reluctantly reached for it and shook it. It wasn’t a friendly handshake nor was it gentle either.

“Deal. I’ll bring the reading material.” I told her and held up the textbook with a smile.

“Why do you have to be such a nerd, Saltzman?” She said with a chuckle and shook her head at me.

“Why do you have to be such a pain, Park?” I fired back and I don’t know what came over us but we both giggled a little at each other before we caught ourselves. Penelope cleared her throat and stood up, picking her bag up with her.

“Come on, let’s go. I’ll take you home so you can pack a bag. We should leave right away if we’re gonna make it in time for the first tour.” Penelope said as she already started making her way towards the door.

Normally I would’ve questioned her but instead I found myself gathering my things and following after her. As we made our way to her car, I noticed there were people glancing at us, wondering what the hell we were doing together. I shook away their looks though because there were other things I needed to worry about. Like, will my parents believe I’m going to be staying over at Penelope’s this weekend? They’ve had to put up with my complaints about her for the past 2 years. And also, would this road trip change my outlook on Penelope entirely? I mean it’s a long drive from Wilmington to Washington D.C., anything could happen. _Did I want something to happen though?_

We reached her car and it was not something I was expecting. I’ve seen her drive her silver Mercedes convertible and her deep forest green Jaguar, but never this. It was a beautiful solid black car with gold trimmings, the same one that Iron Man guy drove in those superhero movies. I stood there in total shock of this car because it’s just not something you’d expect a high school student to drive. At least not one that goes to public school.

“This is the car we’re going to take? Why the hell don’t you go to private school again? It sure seems like you can afford it.” I told her. I went to open the passenger side door but Penelope was faster and opened the door for me.

“First of all, no one touches this car without my permission. Second of all, private schools are a little too snooty for my taste.” She answered and waited for me to get in the car. I nodded without arguing then slid into the passenger seat, buckling my seat belt as she closed the door. I watched as she walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat next to me. As soon as she started the car I could feel my heart begin to race. Maybe I was scared that she would be a dangerous driver, or maybe I was just scared to be this close to her. Or maybe it was something else as I clenched my thighs together and placed my hands over my lap.

“Oh my god relax, I’ll get you home in one piece.” She said, sort of reading my mind, as she pulled out of the parking lot and sped off in the direction of my house.

“Um, so at the old mill intersection, take a left. You’ll need to cross the bridge by the river court and it’s the third house on the left.” I told her as I casually laid my right leg over my left.

“Yeah I know.” She said as she focused on the road. _She knew? How did she know where I lived?_ I glanced at her and saw that she was really concentrating on the road. My eyes made their way to her hand on the steering wheel and she seemed to be gripping it more tightly than a person would normally.

“You know..? How is that possible, I’ve never invited you over before.” I asked, as I tilted my head more towards her.

“Really? Did you forget pee-wee soccer? Whenever it was Alyssa’s mom’s turn to be the carpooler, you and Lizzie would be the first ones we dropped off.” Penelope answered, not in her usual snarky banter kind of way, but.. in a normal way. Like we were actually having a conversation instead of an argument.

“Oh, that’s right. I definitely blocked out that part of my life because I totally sucked at soccer.” I turned away and looked down, letting myself smile a little bit because I couldn’t believe she remembered that.

“Yeah you totally sucked, like the worst player on the entire planet kind of sucked.” She chuckled. When she did, I looked up and saw that her grip on the steering wheel had lightened up. I couldn’t help but smile a little bit because for one, she remembered where I lived after all these years and for two, her chuckle is actually really cute and I found myself becoming attracted to it.

“You didn’t need to rub it in.” I told her, pretending to be annoyed because I was trying to hide how I was really feeling. I had butterflies in my stomach when I shouldn’t. This was Penelope Park for goodness sake, I shouldn’t get attached. Not with her reputation.

“You were still the cutest one out on the field though, with those space buns you had your mom do for every single game.” Penelope said. I looked over at her and she was smiling again. I’ve concluded that’s my smile, a smile reserved just for me. Her _Josie_ smile, if you may.

“Oh god, you remember the space buns? I had no idea why I thought those would be a good idea!” I laughed and covered my face with my hands, hiding the redness in my cheeks from embarrassment.

“They were cute. You should try that style out again.” She told me coolly as we pulled up in front of my house. She didn’t put the car in park and our moment of laughter (ish) passed. I nodded in response and unbuckled myself. I went to open the door but before I did, I looked at Penelope, silently asking if it’s okay to touch her car. This was weird, it wasn’t like some weird dominance thing she had over me, but that I wanted to respect what was hers. She nodded with a soft smile, so I opened the door and got out of her car, closing the door gently. I carefully walked around the car but before I could make my way up the steps to the front door, I heard her call my name.

“Josie?” She had rolled down her window and said my name. My first name. I turned and looked at her as she held out a piece of paper. I walked back to the car and looked at her nervously but then reached my hand out and took the paper from her. As I did, our fingers touched and I swear, electricity coursed through my body. I jumped a little at the static shock but then composed myself right away, as if nothing happened. I looked at the piece of paper and it was her number. _Why is my heart racing now?_

“Text me when you’re ready.” She said then rolled the window up and sped away, leaving me there.. stunned? Shocked? Confused? All of the above? Yes.


	3. The Sneak Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josie's already feeling anxious about this road trip and she hasn't even packed yet. Let's face it though, half the anxiety was deciding what to pack and the other half was her fear that Penelope might actually be planning something to embarrass her. The last time she let her guard down around Penelope was just before sophomore year and she promised she'd never let that happen again. But that's a story for a different time.

I quickly ran into the house after Penelope’s car was no longer in my line of sight. I rushed into my room and quickly started packing a bag. When I say quickly, I meant pulling every single piece of clothing I own out of my drawers and closet and trying impossibly to decide on what to bring. First problem, I had absolutely nothing cute for sleepwear and I wasn’t about to bring my matching polka dot pajamas, even though they were my favorite. Second problem, assuming there was a pool where we would be staying overnight, should I bring a bathing suit just in case and do I bring a one piece or a two piece suit? _Third problem, why the hell was I worried about looking cute in my sleep or in a pool?_

_Knock knock._

“Come in.” I said absentmindedly as dad walked in.

“Whoa, what’s going on in here? It looks like a tornado just blew through your room.” He said as he looked at the chaos of clothes that is now my room.

“Um, just doing a little rearranging before I head out.” I said quickly without thinking as I continued contemplating what clothes to pack.

“Head out? You just got home, where are you off to?” Dad asked curiously.

“Oh uh, I know I should’ve asked before I agreed but do you remember Penelope Park?” I asked him, avoiding eye contact like the plague.

“Yes yes, you and Lizzie used to carpool with her and her mother during your peewee soccer stage. How’s she doing these days?” Dad asked as he scooted a pile of clothes to the side and sat on my bed.

“Not so well. She’s failing American History and she needs to do really well on the final in order to stay off academic probation.” I told him and he just nodded so I decided to continue on, treading the topic lightly.

“So, Mr. Fringe asked me to tutor her and since the final is coming up soon, I thought it’d be best to spend the weekend over at her place to help her fully understand and have a good grasp on the material.” I said slowly and cautiously. The last time I told him I’d be spending the night over at a friend’s place, he decided to give me the sex talk. Mind you, mom already had that talk with Lizzie and I when we were 12, so having my dad try to talk to me about it was a thousand times more awkward. Especially when he tried to explain why I had to be protective of my body around all genders and non-genders. This was when I was spending the night at my best friend Hope’s house. With Lizzie.

“This is strictly because you’re academically tutoring her right?” Dad asked and raised an eyebrow at me and I responded with an over dramatic eye roll. _Ugh_ , I hated that look, like he couldn’t trust me to respect myself and my body. Then again, this is _Penelope Park_ we’re talking about. She can push my buttons and sometimes I can’t even tell what way she’s pushing them.

“Strictly academic. I don’t even like her that way, she’s not my type. She’s too full of herself.” I said with a little coldness to sound convincing. Except I didn’t know who I was trying to convince, my dad or myself.

“Her parents will be there right?” He asked and again I just rolled my eyes at him.

“Yes they will.” I answered curtly then he got up, walked over to me and kissed my head.

“Make sure you pack your toothbrush. I don’t feel like driving to the other end of town just to drop it off for you.” He grinned teasing me because for Alyssa Chang’s 6th birthday, she had a slumber party and I had forgotten my favorite teddy bear, that I couldn’t fall asleep without. I started crying the moment I realized I didn’t have it in my backpack and didn’t stop until dad had dropped it off. By that point I was known as cry baby Josie. Luckily, I grew out of that stage.

As soon as dad left my room I went back to stressing over what to pack. I couldn’t decide what clothes to bring so I decided to pack all the essentials I could decide on like all my toiletries and my notes on all the chapters that was going to be on the final. I even packed snacks before I packed my attire. What was one supposed to wear on a road trip with someone they loathed anyway? I was so lost in thought that I didn’t hear Lizzie come in.

“Planning on making an escape attempt so you don’t have to tutor the Wicked Witch of the East?” Lizzie said as she breezed in and sat on my bean bag chair, nearly startling me half to death.

“Um.. actually I told dad I’d be spending the weekend over at Penelope’s to help her get ready for the American History final.” I told Lizzie carefully as I started packing my two favorite jeans and a couple of _conservative_ crop tops.

“No way, you’re actually going over to her _lair?!_ ” Lizzie said shocked as she sat upright.

“We’ve been there before Lizzie.” I reminded her while I decided to pack my plain black matching pajamas. They were comfy and in no way any kind of suggestive.

“Yeah, when she was still one of the sweetest people on the planet. Her place probably has a dungeon and a dragon for burning people alive now.” Lizzie responded, trying to convince me that spending any time with Penelope Park was a bad idea. The thing is, I know she’s right.

“I’m not saying you’re wrong but as a tutor, I am morally obligated to help a student struggling academically.” I said as I packed my undergarments. I decided to forego the swimsuit because I was dead set on making sure _absolutely nothing_ would happen except learning about American History.

“Fine, go nerd it out with the Wicked Witch I guess. Just as long as you’re back to help with the sets for the musical.” Lizzie told me firmly. At that, I let my head hang a little.

“Lizzie.. I know the musical is important to you and I would never do anything to jeopardize that.. but tutoring is important to me and I have a student that needs my help. I’ll call Hope, I’m sure she and Landon would love to help with the sets.” I told Lizzie, making sure I covered all basis for minimal backlash.

“So you’re bailing on me? Fine, whatever. Tell Hope to be at the school tonight at 7pm. See you when you get back nerd.” Lizzie said in her sarcastic but loving way then left to go meet up with her boyfriend. As soon as she left, I went to go have a shower, hoping that would calm my anxiety down a little bit.

After throwing on some jeans and a cropped sweater I fixed my hair then brought my overnight bag down. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket along with the piece of paper that Penelope gave me that had her number scrawled across it. I was about to send her a text but I hesitated. Not because I didn’t know what to say, but because I was in disbelief that I was actually going to go through with sneaking away with Penelope for a weekend.

 _Hey, it’s Josie. Ready to go._ I typed and hit send. There, it’s official, I’m going on a road trip with Penelope Park. As I sat on the couch, already second guessing all of my current life choices, my phone started to buzz in my hand. Hope was calling me. I inhaled then picked up the phone.

“Hey Hope.” I answered.

“Hey Jo. Lizzie called me and said you volunteered Landon and I to help her with the set designs this weekend.” Hope answered back sounding a little irritated.

“I meant to call you and ask you myself. I have to tutor Penelope this weekend because she needs to pass the mock final next week. You know Mr. Fringe grades those just as harshly as the actual final and it still counts towards the final grade.” I said immediately, lying to yet another person in my life about my actual plans. I guess it wasn’t really a lie though, right?

“Since when did you become friendly with the She-Devil?” Hope asked, the surprise in her voice loud and clear.

“Mr. Fringe asked me to tutor her since they had to place her on academic probation from the team. First she has to pass the mock final, then ace the two essays that’s due in 3 weeks and pass with at least a B+ on the final exam if they’re going to allow her participate in the playoffs.” I told her and then heard her sigh.

"Of course he asks the best tutor in the school to help our star player. Fine, we’ll help Lizzie out but you owe us.” Hope agreed and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding in.

“Thanks Hope.” I responded before we hung up and as soon as I did my doorbell went off. I made my way over to the door hoping it wasn’t anyone I knew because Penelope would be here any second. As soon as I swung the door open, Penelope was standing there in all her provocative glory. Did she really have to put on the tightest black jeans she could find? Or wear her white button down shirt half open? Or that black leather jacket NO ONE could resist? I stood there stunned and completely blank for words.

“You okay there Jojo?” Penelope asked with that sexy smirk plastered on her face. I gulped and nodded then changed my expression to being instantly annoyed, which wasn’t hard because I actually was annoyed the moment she called me that.

“Didn’t I tell you to never call me that? I’ve hated that nickname ever since you told everyone I called myself that because I couldn’t pronounce my S’s.” I answered then grabbed my bag then turned to call back into the house.

“Dad, I’m heading out now!” I yelled then shut the door behind me.

“First of all, I plan on bringing that nickname back to life. Second of all, it’s cute and suits you.” Penelope said as we walked over to her car and she opened the passenger door for me. I looked at her and she smiled innocently, or as innocent as one named Penelope Park could look. I tried to hide my smile but probably ended up looking like I was constipated. I blushed then slid into the car, placing my bag in the backseat while Penelope slid into the driver’s seat. We buckled up and then we were off.

****

*******************************************

Ten minutes later we were stopped at the gas station because Penelope didn’t fill up her tank before she came to pick me up. We were different like that. Me? I always planned ahead, I mean I packed snacks for crying out loud. Regardless, she gave me some cash to grab drinks and more snacks while she filled the car up with gas. So here I was, grabbing bottles of water and additional snacks because apparently my stash of junk food wasn’t enough.

“That’ll be $22.15, do you need a bag?” The cashier asked. I shook my head in reply, gave him a short monologue about how they should get rid of plastic bags because it was bad for the environment and handed him exact change before going back to the car with everything.

“Geez Saltzman, what’d you do, rob the store? I said a few snacks, not a junk food buffet.” Penelope laughed at me as I struggled to open my door and stick my tongue out at her at the same time. She walked over and opened the door for me, which was great because I was literally going to drop everything if she hadn’t. I was beginning to think Penelope was actually a very chivalrous person. _Beginning to think._

“Whatever, at least this means we shouldn’t have to make any pit stops on the way.” I told her while sliding back into the car and placing everything in the backseat with my bag.

“And at least you remembered what all my favorite snacks are. Well, almost all my favorite snacks.” She winked at me before she closed the door and got in on her side. _What did she mean by that?_

“What are you talking about?” I looked at her and asked her as she started to drive.

“Well you got twinkies for one thing and I used to trade you my fruit cups for your twinkies when we were in second grade. You also got slim jims. Besides the fact that you won’t eat them because you’re a pescatarian, in fourth grade you used to give them to me whenever your dad packed them for you on accident. Also, don’t get me started on the pizza Pringles, that tantrum fight I had with Hope Mikealson in third grade because you let me cut in front of you at lunch on that aquarium field trip? I ended up getting the last pizza Pringle snack pack and she was pissed because that’s the only flavor she tolerated.” Penelope explained while I just sat there, looking at her in complete confusion. How did she remember these things? _Why did she remember them?_

“Just because you remember all of that, doesn’t mean I do. I got these snacks because they were the cheapest.” I told her, which was the truth. Though, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something working in the back of my mind that made me choose these snacks. Like my subconscious was telling me to choose them because Penelope liked them. I shook my head at myself then looked away. _They’re just snacks, it’s not that deep_ , I concluded.

“Whatever you say.. Jojo.” She said and I glared at her, that smirk of hers inching across her face.

“I told you not to call me that.” I said through gritted teeth. Penelope looked right at me as we pulled up to the stoplight before the ramp to get onto the interstate, and she flashed that wickedly sexy smile of hers.

“And I recall telling you that it’s cute and suits you. So deal with it.” She chuckled before looking back to the road and pressing on the gas pedal. I sighed at her then turned away again because whether I liked it or not, the muscles in my face shifted, causing me to form a smile and I didn’t want her to see. For some reason, my brain and body had a disconnect when it came to Penelope. I wanted to dislike her, I wanted to loathe her. But every little thing she did that was even the slightest bit cute or sincere, my body responded with the opposite reaction I wanted.

 _Stop it Jo, don’t you dare fall for this girl_ , I kept repeating to myself in my head. It was certainly going to be a loooong weekend.

I was really beginning to think this was a _very bad idea. A very bad idea indeed._


	4. The Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they're off! Can Josie keep her feelings in check? It's a five and a half hour drive that might include a few stops along the way. So, how is Josie going to handle being in such close proximity and in confined quarters with Penelope? The only way she knows how, by pulling out the books and focusing on school. But, will Penelope let her? Josie's in for a bumpy ride.

I tried, _incessantly_ , to quiz Penelope on material I knew would be on the test but like the mastermind she was, ended up tricking me into playing road trip games. We played I Spy, the category game, the license plate game and even the guess that song game (if anyone asked, I won all of those). We’ve been driving for two straight hours and we’ve already finished all of our snacks. Yes, that included my healthy snacks. I guess I should’ve anticipated Penelope having a slightly larger appetite than I, considering she is an athlete. I should’ve known she would have a higher burning metabolism than I because athletes typically do.

“I’m hungry. We should pull over and grab some dinner before we drive the rest of the way. We’ve got another three and a half hours to go.” Penelope said without taking her eyes off the road. I nodded without a word because she was right and it was getting close to dinner time. So I pulled my phone out to search up nearby but decent restaurants.

“There’s a diner coming up in 5 miles. They’ve got non-meat options for me. Otherwise there’s a seafood shack about 20 miles down.” I told Penelope.

“Nothing like some good old diner food to make a road trip authentic.” She answered and sped up a little.

“How are you hungry again so soon? You just finished all four of the slim jims like a half hour ago.” I asked incredulously.

“Hey, a girl’s gotta eat.” She said lightly and we both cracked up at that but I immediately stopped and turned away. I don’t know why but this version of Penelope was so easy to be around. It was like the past 2 years didn’t happen and we were back to being the friends we were in freshman year. Not that I would ever admit it but I missed her friendship. I missed that Penelope, the one I could count on, the one I could trust. The Penelope that never betrayed me.

“You know, it’s okay to laugh. It’s okay to let yourself have a little fun.” Penelope said the moment I stopped laughing.

“Fun? With you? No thanks.” I said firmly as I crossed my arms, glancing over at her then turning away again.

“Admit it Jojo, you’re having fun. I haven’t seen you dress like that nor let your hair down since that summer before sophomore year.” She chuckled and shook her head, I saw her every move out of the corner of my eye.

“My style doesn’t define whether or not I have fun.” I scowled and argued back, my face turning red because I was actually angry at her insinuation that I don’t have fun. Plus the fact that she just had to bring up that summer. That summer where everything changed.

“What kind of fun is it that you have exactly?” She laughed thinking I was joking when I was so clearly not. Before I could open my mouth to respond, however, she continued on.

“Staying home every night to study? Helping your sister with all _her_ activities and not taking time to do anything _you_ like? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you attend a school function just to go, you’re always attending because committee members are expected to. Face it Jojo, you’re living a life that wasn’t meant for you.” Penelope answered and I was completely stunned but my anger was also continuing to boil.

“Everyone has different ideas of what fun is. I enjoy being on school committees and I prefer to have good grades unlike some people.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I saw her lip twitch just slightly and I instantly began apologizing.

“Wait I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” I said sorrowfully but Penelope just shook her head as she parked the car.

“Don’t be. That was a fair shot and you took it. How’d it feel?” She answered quietly before she unbuckled her seatbelt and looked back at me. I contemplated before I answered. It felt good to say something mean to her, after all the trouble she’s caused me in the past. But I’m not a mean person and I don’t want to be.

“Like I shouldn’t have said it.” I decided to say then got out of the car before she could answer. I walked right into the diner and sat in the only open booth, which was directly behind the claw machine game, because the counter was full of truck drivers, choking down their burgers, fries and pies. Penelope walked through the door shortly after and sat across from me.

“If you were trying to execute a getaway plan, you didn’t do a very good job.” She said smoothly while flashing _that_ smirk at me before she grabbed the menu to look through it.

“I wanted to get a table considering the place is packed.” I argued back and grabbed a menu for myself to look it over. Penelope didn’t answer back, she just nodded and continued skimming through the menu until our server came by to take our order.

“Good evening, my name is Justin. Can I get you ladies started with something to drink?” The lanky, tanned skinned teen greeted us.

“Oreo shake for me please and I’m actually ready to order. You?” Penelope answered then looked over at me. I nodded but didn’t look up to meet her eyes. Instead I looked up and met the eyes of our server.

"I’ll take an oreo shake as well and yes we’re ready to order. May I get an order of the clam chowder and a side of fries?” I asked as he jotted down my order.

“Of course! And for you?” He answered then turned to Penelope to take down her order. She ordered the steak and fries special. Once our server left to get our drinks and put in our order, it was back to the silent treatment. At least, that’s what I hoped would happen.

“So.. break out that list of questions, teach.” Penelope said as she crossed her arms on the table and leaned in. I looked up at her to find her smiling at me. I wanted to smile back but every muscle in my body told me not to. I scowled instead but I still listened and unpacked my note cards.

“For the record, I’m still mad at you for indirectly calling me boring.” I told her as I organized my notecards and separated the ones regarding the Cold War from the rest.

“When are you ever not mad at me Jojo?” She asked with a soft chuckle and that almost killed me. Why was I getting more and more attracted to her? I looked at her, tilting my head to the right just slightly while clenching my jaw.

“Can you really blame me?” I asked her. It was a rhetorical question because the answer was blatantly obvious.

“That was 2 years ago and I apologized.” Penelope answered gently, leaning back against her chair and placing her hands under the table. My expression softened when I saw her mood sadden but only briefly. I steeled myself once again and shook my head.

“No you didn’t actually. You never really apologized for what you did.” I told her. She opened her mouth to respond but our server returned with our shakes. We looked away from each other and thanked him before he walked away. We were silent for a few minutes and when I realized that she wasn’t going to apologize, I cleared my throat and started to quiz her based on the questions on my notecards.

“During the Cold War era, the easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in what?” I asked as I flipped the card over and waited for Penelope to answer. I heard her sigh before she answered.

“A treaty banning nuclear war tests. Jo wait, can we please talk about what happened?” Penelope’s soft voice answered but I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear excuses, I didn’t want to walk down memory lane with her, not to that night. That night ruined our friendship and we became different people because of it.

“Correct and no. Which action has come to symbolize the end of the Cold War?” I asked another question to emphasize the fact that I refused to talk about that night 2 years ago.

“Jo-” Penelope started but I quickly cut her off.

“Wrong. The Eisenhower Doctrine (1957) was an effort by the United States to what?” I fired another question and flipped the card over, a little too aggressively I might add.

“...Counter the influence of the Soviet Union in the Middle East.” Penelope gave up and answered, sounding defeated.

“And for the record, the tearing down of the Berlin wall came to symbolize the end of the Cold War.” Penelope added. That caught me off guard for some reason because it made me look up at her. I was about to speak but our server came back with our food and placed them in front of us.

“Here you go. Let me know if I can get you anything else and enjoy!” He sounded so jolly that it was impossible not to smile. We both thanked him and quietly ate our meals. The only sound coming from our booth was Penelope’s knife scraping against the plate whenever she sliced a piece of her steak. As we ate, we both scrolled through our phones, both of us ignoring each other but I couldn’t stop stealing glances at her. Like I was waiting for some miracle that would make me understand her. But no miracle came, just the end of our meal and Penelope asking for the check.

Once the server returned with our check I began pulling my wallet out to pay for my portion but she caught my hand before I could move it from the table. _Her hand is warm and soft, her hand felt perfect, like it was made to hold my hand_ , I thought to myself as our eyes locked. I gulped as I felt a static shock course through my body and my face heating up. I looked away as fast as I could so she wouldn’t see the redness in my cheeks. Why was I reacting this way? I shouldn’t be reacting this way.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s my teat.” Penelope said then pulled her hand away. _No please, hold my hand again_ , my mind begged but I shook that thought away and tried to hide the blush on my cheeks.

“You don’t have to pay for me, I have my own money.” I told her while I tried fishing my wallet out of my bag.

“I know I don’t, but I want to, and.. For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry.” She said gently. _What did she just say?_

“What?” I asked as I blinked at her. I saw the expression she was wearing on her face. Her eyes looked heavy, no longer full of that mischief they normally had. Her lips were curved into a frown. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without a smile or her signature smirk. Everything about her expression radiated regret and sadness which meant she was sincere in her apology.

“I’m sorry, Josie.” Penelope repeated and looked at me with a slight nod. _She really meant it._ I hesitated for a moment but replied back with a nod myself.

“I know.” I told her and I meant it too. She got up to go pay for the check and I felt my entire body exhale. I’ve always known deep down that Penelope didn’t mean to do what she did, that if we could do that night over again, she wouldn’t have blurted out that I had a crush on Alyssa Chang in front of practically our entire grade. My mind wandered back to that night.

****

**********FLASHBACK**********

“Get your ass down here! We’re gonna be late for the party!” Lizzie yelled from the living room. It was the weekend before the new school year started and Alyssa was hosting the biggest end of summer bash the town has ever seen. That’s what her invite said anyway, that this party would go down in Wilmington High history. I looked over at myself one more time in the mirror, to make sure I was satisfied with my outfit and makeup. Penelope lent me her leather jacket earlier that day because we both agreed it looked great with my black mini skirt, ankle high boots and red crop top. My hair was down with my curls loosely laying over my shoulders and my makeup wasn’t too much. Except for my lipstick, I decided to try on a bolder red to match my top. I wanted to look different, more adult than the cry baby Josie everyone always saw me as. I wanted to turn heads, more specifically, I wanted to catch Alyssa’s attention.

Lizzie, Hope, Penelope and I all arrived at the party when it was at its peak. Meaning everyone was there, most of them were drunk and a lot of upperclassmen were already in the midst of hooking up. Some of the people here were even from that snooty private school in the next town over. I guess word travels fast when you’re that popular, rich kid whose parents were well known throughout the entire county. As soon as we arrived, MG found us and offered his hand to Lizzie for a dance, then they were off. Those two were always in love with each other, it just took Lizzie a little longer to realize it. As the rest of us made our way through the party, that new kid Landon that transferred here at the end of last school year, accidentally bumped into Hope. Of course she didn’t mind though because she had already developed a crush on him when he ended up being her lab partner for the biology project.

“Hope! I’m so sorry!” Landon said awkwardly and with a slight blush on his cheeks. Penelope and I looked over at Hope and she was blushing as well.

“Hey Landon! No it’s okay don’t worry about it!” Hope said with a higher pitched voice than normal but she immediately cleared her throat.

“Do you wanna, maybe, grab a drink with me?” Landon asked as he slid both his hands into his pockets nervously. Hope didn’t give a verbal answer, she just had the biggest smile on her face that I’ve ever seen and walked off with Landon. She did look back and waved bye to Penelope and I though, so at least she still acknowledged our existence.

“Guess it’s just you and me.” Penelope and I smiled at each other and made our way through the crowd, trying to get to the food because we were both starving. Well, Penelope was trying to make her way to the food, I on the other hand, was searching high and wide for Alyssa. Low and behold, there she was with her normal gang of popular kids, huddled around the dining table with an empty beer bottle in the middle.

“Park! Saltzman! Come over here and join us!” Alyssa called us over and my heart did a little flutter. I pulled Penelope along with me. There were empty seats on either side of Alyssa so we both took a seat.

“You two are just in time for a game!” Alyssa said and it was clear she was already buzzed.

“What’s the game?” Penelope asked curiously as she ran her hand through her hair, ruffling it up a little but that messy hair look worked for her. Like it was just one more element that made her beauty look effortless.

“Seven minutes in heaven. Spin the bottle and whoever it lands on, you spend seven glorious minutes with them in the coat closet.” Alyssa answered with a giggle, her face a little red from the alcohol she had already consumed. Penelope nodded as Alyssa pointed at Jed to start. He spun the bottle and looked over at Alyssa but she wasn’t paying any attention. It landed on Penelope and the entire table bursted out laughing.

“EWW! I am not going into a closet with my cousin!” Penelope and Jed both yelled at the same time. They never acted like it but they were definitely related.

“Okay okay spin again.” Alyssa finally said after she calmed down from her laughter. Jed spun once more and it landed on Raf. The entire table began _oohing_ and _awwing_. I looked over at Raf and I swear I saw him blushing. They got up and went into the closet while the rest of us began chatting away about whether or not we think they’d end up actually making out or not.

“Everyone knows Raf has a crush on Jed so I’m sure he’s already eager to get started. You think your cousin is gonna go for it?” Alyssa asked, then she turned to Penelope and for the first time ever, I saw Penelope put on a flirty smile. She never did that. _Did she like Alyssa too?_

“Hard to say but I wouldn’t put it past him, he is a horndog after all.” Penelope answered with a laugh and Alyssa laughed along with her.

“Raf and Jed sitting in a tree..” Alyssa started singing and Penelope joined in after. I laughed along with them but immediately felt that pang of jealousy already tugging at me. I wanted Alyssa’s attention but Penelope was here keeping it all to herself. Why didn’t she tell me she liked Alyssa? I told her about my crush, why didn’t she tell me about hers? I thought we were friends. I watched as they continued making jokes. Just then both Raf and Jed emerged from the closet. Jed’s hair was messy and Raf’s shirt wasn’t buttoned properly, both of them grinning and blushing. Everyone cheered them on when they decided to leave the game.

“You’re right, definitely a horndog.” Alyssa told Penelope and they both giggled like it was their new inside joke.

“Josie, you next!” Alyssa tapped my shoulder. I smiled awkwardly at her when she did then leaned over to spin the bottle. I closed my eyes and said every single prayer in my head, hoping it’ll land on Alyssa. I heard the bottle come to a stop and opened my eyes, to my surprise it had landed on Alyssa. I was silently screaming in my head as my stomach filled with butterflies.

“Alright Saltzman, get ready for the best kiss of your life.” Alyssa giggled as she struggled to get to her feet without toppling over. I stood up before she did so I could help her up.

“Yeah I’m sure she already is.” Penelope mumbled with a little snark to her comment. _Did she really just say that?_

“What was that Park?” Alyssa turned and asked. Everyone was staring at Penelope now. I was glaring at her, begging her to keep her mouth shut. Penelope found my eyes and it was like looking in a mirror. The jealousy I had just moments earlier, it was now blazing through in her eyes. _Oh no, oh no oh no oh no._

“I said, I’m sure Josie’s definitely ready to have you kiss her. I’m sure she’s been dreaming about it for months.” Penelope said with sass. She’s never used that tone of voice when it came to me and it cut like a knife.

“ _Penelope.._ ” I mumbled through my teeth. I could feel the hotness in my cheeks. _How could she do that? How could she just blurt out my secret like it’s nothing?_

“Hold up, do you like me Saltzman? Hate to break it to ya hun but you’re not my type.” Alyssa took one look at me and laughed in my face. I tried to hold in my tears but they filled my eyes to the brim. I gulped hoping it’ll hold in my tears just long enough for me to get out of here. I turned my eyes away from her and glared right at Penelope.

“I _never_ want to talk to you, _ever again_.” I spat at her then shoved past her, running out of the party and letting my tears fall.

“Fine by me sweetheart.” Penelope yelled after me. I could hear her and Alyssa laughing at my demise. I’ve officially become Wilmington High’s most pathetic student and the school year hasn’t even started yet.

****

********END FLASHBACK********

“Hey.. you ready to head out?” Penelope came back shaking me out of my thoughts, putting her change into her bag and taking her keys out.

“Yeah.” I said and stood up. Penelope handed me the keys with a smile.

“Start the car. I gotta use the bathroom before we head out.” She replied then walked past me to head into the restroom. I smiled and clutched her keys as I began walking out of the diner. Penelope giving me her keys to start her car was a gesture I was not expecting from her. She was giving me her trust even though she knew I couldn’t give her my trust.. yet.

Something caught my eye on the way out, I stopped and turned to the claw machine. It was a hot pink toy bracelet with little plastic lucky charms. I know I’m a total kid for this but I’m a sucker for toy jewelry, I blame my mom for getting me so invested into fairy-tales. I looked around and confirmed no one was looking my way, so I went ahead and dropped some change into the claw machine to try my luck. After grabbing the joystick I moved the claw up then to the right. I looked all around the glass to see if it was lined up and from what I could tell, it was. Of course when I hit the drop button, the claw missed the bracelet by an inch. I groaned at the same time a familiar chuckle came from behind me.

“Bummer, that would’ve looked nice on you.” Penelope said, her signature smirk was back. I nodded without a word and turned to walk out the door but Penelope had other plans. She walked up to the claw machine and dropped some change into it. As soon as the machine started up, she grabbed the joystick and very carefully lined it up with the bracelet. _My bracelet._

“What are you doing?” I asked as I leaned against the machine. The claw dropped and scooped up the bracelet. I blinked at her and shook my head. Of course she had to make it a competition. She bent down to take the bracelet out of the prize door then stood up grinning at me.

“Don’t say I never gave you anything.” Penelope said as she grabbed my hand softly and placed the bracelet around my wrist. _Her warm hand was holding mine again._ I looked at her and she looked at me. It’s hard to explain but in that moment, it felt like everything that happened between us just disappeared. I couldn’t contain my smile and for the first time during this entire ordeal, I wanted Penelope to see me smile. She let go of my hand and smirked again with a soft chuckle.

“Alright we’re wasting time, let’s go.” She said, taking her keys back then opening the door for me. I blushed while tucking my hair behind my ear as we made our way back to the car. Maybe this road trip wasn’t such a bad idea after all.


	5. The Hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a rather weird dinner that resulted in an apology Josie has been waiting for the past two years, it seems as though the bad blood between Josie and Penelope might finally be clearing up. Can Josie allow herself to let her guard down around Penelope again? And what about those annoying little feelings Josie's been experiencing towards Penelope, are they finally ready to calm down or will a night spent together ignite something more in Josie? Something more that she's not quite ready for.

We were back in the car and driving on the highway as the sky continued to darken and the stars started to shine. We were blasting the music, old music, the songs that brought back our youth. The songs we would obsessively listen to when we were younger and had a more carefree nature. Even weirder, we were singing. Okay wait, that was an understatement, we were belting out these tunes like we were on stage performing to a stadium full of fans. Ironically enough, we were both on key. I knew she could sing but I didn’t know she could sing. Her voice was completely enticing, there were some lines I chose not to sing because I wanted to just listen to her voice. Her melodic and hypnotizing voice.

After driving for over an hour, Penelope drove onto an exit ramp. I didn’t ask where we were going because I could see exactly where she was taking us. Just several blocks away stood a large, block looking building that read “Hilton Embassy Suites” and although the building layout was a little bit plain, you could still tell from the exterior that it was a luxury stay. I knew Penelope could afford it but I thought we were going to keep things low key, something not traceable with a credit card since we were both allegedly spending the night at each other’s houses to study.

“This is where we’re staying?” I said with a little bit more surprise in my voice than I wanted as we pulled up to the valet. Penelope unlocked the door without a word, just a soft smile, then both our doors were opened by the valet workers.

“Good evening Ms. Park and welcome back. Shall we have your bags brought to the room?” One of them asked Penelope once we were both out of the car and she answered yes to the man’s questions. Without another word, she walked off towards the lobby and I followed after her.

“Penelope..” I whispered as I caught up to her. She didn’t look at me but she smiled and my heart began to race because of it.

“Yes?” She answered me with a smug look on her face. I could tell she wasn’t being mean, she was just having fun at the expense of my confusion.

“How exactly do you expect us to pay for this place without a charge showing up on your statement?” I continued whispering because for some reason, walking through this hotel with Penelope felt like we were about to do something illegal. _Maybe not illegal, but definitely something naughty,_ I thought but immediately trashed that thought because I can’t afford to be feeling this way, not now, not ever.

“Well, other than the fact that I don’t care if a charge shows up on my statement since my parents don’t check it, we also have a private timeshare here. Basically, I tell them my name, they give me the keys to the room and that’s it, no paperwork whatsoever.” Penelope grinned as I stood there looking at her incredulously.

“What? Did you think I was going to allow us to stay in a dainty, rundown motel on the side of the road?” She laughed then made her way to the front desk to check in. I was still speechless and apparently so stunned because my legs decided not to move even though my brain was telling me to follow her. I continued staring wide eyed at her after the lady at the front desk handed Penelope two card keys. To be honest, and I’ll never actually admit it out loud, but I really liked looking at Penelope. There was just a confidence she radiated that I admired and it was impossible not to appreciate her beauty.

When she turned around and saw that I wasn’t behind her, she waved me over and that’s when my legs finally decided to listen. I caught up to her again and we rounded the corner to the elevators. Once we were inside the elevators, we stayed as far away from each other as possible. _Scratch that, I was clinging to the other side of the elevator while Penelope was just standing contently on her side, unaware of the internal crisis I was having._ If I was any closer to her, it felt like I might combust and I have no idea why I was feeling this way. The room was at the top floor, the VIP floor, and the whole ride up, I could feel this tension between us and it was detrimentally suffocating me. Something had shifted at that diner, we were different people now, at least that’s what it felt like. Penelope was no longer that friend who betrayed me, she was a girl I was getting to know all over again.

“You coming Saltzman?” Penelope’s voice lured me back to reality and out of my thoughts. I hadn’t realized that we reached our floor and she was holding the doors open for me. I nodded and stepped out of the elevator, walking beside her as she led the way to the room. It wasn’t far, just a few strides to the right and we were standing in front of large double doors while she waved the key card in front of the electronic lock. As soon as we walked in, my breath was taken away yet again.

This wasn’t a hotel room, it was a luxury suite on steroids. I slowly walked in through the doorway and into the threshold, my mouth hung open agape at the sheer perfection of this suite. There was a floating staircase leading up to a loft, where I assume the master bedroom and bathroom was located. Penelope walked over to the large, black suede couch and plopped herself on it. I was still busy taking in the beauty of this place, admiring the full stainless steel kitchen and bar, the white marble flooring, the light gray walls with elegant paintings hanging along them. I must’ve looked overwhelmed by everything because out of the corner of my eye, I saw Penelope get up and walk over to me.

“Come on, I’ll give you the official tour.” She said as she came up to me. I nodded and looked around before following after her. I didn’t notice when we came in but our bags were already brought up before we even got here. She walked me through the entire suite, it was huge. She showed me the kitchen, the massive living area with the gigantic tv and surround sound throughout the entire suite, all controllable via a master remote. It also controlled the lights in different areas. She took me out onto the wrap around balcony, which overlooked the city and also included a small hot tub. _Now I kind of wish I brought a swimsuit,_ I thought to myself. We went back in and she showed me the downstairs bedroom which was massive, it had its own king sized bed, walk-in closet and full bathroom. Yes the bathroom had a jet tub AND a walk in shower. You would think this room was the master bedroom but no. Penelope showed me the loft and it also had its own walk-in closet which was twice the size. The bathroom was also twice the size and covered in black marble. Don’t even get me started on the bed up there. Penelope told me to sit on it and I almost knocked out from how insanely comfortable it was. This was luxury alright, everything was in pristine condition and I was legitimately afraid that my clumsiness might wreck something and I’d have to pay for it. Jeez, I knew her family was rich but I never expected this.

“So that was the grand tour..” Penelope sat next to me and laid down. By some weird urge, I laid down too and turned my head to look at her. _She really was beautiful._

“I would’ve been okay if we stayed in an old, dainty, rundown motel on the side of the road by the way, but.. thank you for bringing me here. This place is absolutely insane.” I told her and I meant it. She didn’t need to bring me here, I didn’t need all of these fancy things, they weren’t important to me. Penelope turned her head to face me as well, blinking at me as if she couldn’t believe what I had just said.

“I know you would’ve.. but you deserve better than that Jojo.” She told me with a small smile on her face and the softest look in her eyes. I didn’t even mind that she called me that anymore, when she called me that, it felt like I was somehow special in her eyes. I took a deep breath before gulping down my urge to scoot closer to her. Even though she was looking at me with so much gentleness, the intensity in her eyes was undeniable. I glanced at her lips for a moment and involuntarily licked my lips before looking back to her eyes. _Kiss her, you know you want to._ I really did want to but I can’t. I just can’t give in to her, it’s too scary to think about what would happen if I do give in.

_Wait.. is she leaning in? Oh my god she’s leaning in! Kiss her! Kiss her kiss her kiss her!_ My brain was screaming at me to take a chance. I started closing in on the little space left between us. Just inches away, any second and our lips would finally meet. Our eyes never left each other, she drew me in and I wanted her but ultimately my fear won, my heart wouldn’t let me do this. I pulled back just as our lips were about to collide and looked up at the ceiling, gulping down my frustration.

“I can’t.. I’m sorry..” I whispered, my voice trembling.

I heard Penelope exhale and shift away from me and as soon as she did, I closed my eyes to hold back my tears. _Maybe this is what Penelope was talking about before, about not having fun, because I don’t take chances when it’s right in front of me._ She was right, I could never go after anything I ever wanted. _Why? Because I’m always afraid I’ll end up worse if I take a chance._

“No it’s my fault.. I shouldn’t have..” Penelope’s voice trailed off and I swear I could hear her thoughts yelling at me. She was quiet but I knew her mind was shouting at me for making her think I wanted to kiss her then pulling away at the last second. _If only you knew how much I want to kiss you Penelope, if only you could feel the want I have for you._

“Um.. we have ice cream in the freezer. I’m gonna go make myself a sundae since we didn’t get any desert at the diner. You’re more than welcome to join me if you want.” Penelope said before she lifted herself off the bed and I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I heard her footsteps grow fainter as she descended the stairs. As soon as I knew she was out of earshot, I cursed myself for allowing a moment like that to even happen. I have to keep myself in check, this is supposed to be an educational trip, nothing more. _But, ice cream does sound delicious right now._ My stomach grumbled at the thought, so I sighed and made my way down to the kitchen.

By the time I made my way down, Penelope had already brought out the ice cream and an entire spread of toppings. I cautiously approached her just as she was pulling out two bowls and two spoons. _She knew I would come down for ice cream, I have never refused ice cream in my life._ I stood at the other side of the island, staring down at all the toppings: chocolate syrup, whipped cream, gummy bears, chopped nuts, sprinkles, marshmallows, cherries and M&M’s

“Hey..” I said, not knowing how to approach her after our little _moment_ upstairs. I leaned against the island as she started opening the tubs of ice cream.

“Two scoops of cookies and cream, whipped cream with a cherry on top?” Penelope smiled at me while scooping the ice cream into a bowl.

“You remembered.” I smiled at her and I could feel my cheeks flush. I wasn’t asking her a question, it was more like a statement of surprise. That after everything, she still knew parts of me that I thought had long been forgotten.

“You bet.” She continued making our sundaes. She scooped chocolate and vanilla into her bowl before drowning it in chocolate and butterscotch syrup. I never understood why she wanted both chocolate and vanilla, it pretty much all just became chocolate once it melted. It’s not my place to judge food tastes though. She topped our sundaes off with the whipped cream and cherries, hers with added nuts, gummy bears and sprinkles. I looked around at the rest of the toppings and smiled to myself knowing the marshmallows would be eaten alongside the ice cream with each bite. The M&M’s were the dessert after the dessert, just like we used to do when we were kids. She handed me my bowl and pushed some marshmallows over to me.

“Thank you.” I told her as we both dipped our spoons into our bowls then clinked them together, like a toast, before we each took our first bite. Immediately after we shoved a marshmallow into our mouths. Once our mouths were no longer full, she tossed a marshmallow at me and it bounced right off my forehead. She was bursting with laughter the moment she saw my “how dare you” face. _I was laughing too but in my head, because this meant war._

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that!” I picked up a marshmallow and threw it at her but she dodged it. So instead, I picked up the whipped cream when she wasn’t looking and sprayed some on her cheek, except there was no way to control the spray and it ended up spraying all over her shirt instead.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!” I said but laughed anyway because of how ridiculous she looked being covered in whipped cream.

“No you’re not, but you will be!” She said with that mischievous grin plastered on her face, then picked up the chocolate syrup and chased after me. I sprinted away but she was obviously faster. Before I knew it her arms were wrapped around me from behind, and it felt amazing, like I belonged there. I couldn’t tell you what happened next because everything happened in a blur but I ended up having my face smothered with chocolate syrup.

“OH MY GOD! PENELOPE!” I yelled as I tried not to drip any of the gooey substance on the floor. She continued laughing while walking back to her sundae.

“I told you you’d be sorry.” She responded and I just shook my head at her. I couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading across my face. I felt sticky and gross but I didn’t mind it. I let my guard down for a moment and I had fun.

“Watch your back Park, I’m gonna get my revenge when you least expect it.” I told her while walking over to the kitchen sink and washing my face as best I could.

“If you say so. Why don’t you go have a shower to clean off? I’ll put your ice cream in the freezer for now and you can have it once you’re chocolate free.” She laughed then picked up my bowl and placed it in the freezer.

“You’re one to talk, look at your shirt.” I told her while giving her a knowing look. She just shrugged and pulled her shirt off effortlessly. I nearly choked on my own breath but managed to gulp it down. I looked away so she wouldn’t see the redness in my face creeping up on me. I didn’t keep my eyes on her, I didn’t allow myself to linger on her stunning and shirtless figure, because if I did, then I don’t know what would’ve happened. There’s only so much control I have over myself and currently it was a losing battle.

“There, all clean.” Penelope said and I could hear the smirk in her voice.

“Um.. I’m gonna go have that shower now.” I said quietly and walked off towards my bag, picking it up and making my way to the downstairs bedroom.

“You might as well use the master bath since we’re only going to be here for the night.” She said while taking another bite of her ice cream. _She had a point, if we’re only going to be here for the night, might as well make use of the facilities._ I considered for a moment then nodded in agreement before making my way back upstairs.

“Thanks.” I told her as I hurried out of her view. I couldn’t be around her when all she had on was a bra and jeans. Not when my feelings toward her have been fluctuating like crazy.

After I shut and locked the bathroom door behind me, I leaned my back against it so I could have something to steady me while I took in three deep breaths to calm myself down. Once I had calmed down enough, I took out my toiletries, a change of underwear and my pajamas, laying them out where I needed them to be. Now that everything was ready, I turned the shower on and watched the water fall from the ceiling for a bit before I stripped my clothes off and stepped in. The heat of the spray felt good on my skin, allowing my muscles to relax. I continued my showering routine as normal but images of Penelope kept popping into my mind. First was the way she looked when she placed the toy bracelet around my wrist, which I hadn’t taken off. Then I imagined her gentle face just inches away from mine, leaning in, closing the space between us. Finally, the image of her swiftly taking her shirt off without a care in the world. All these images just kept replaying in my mind, which caused a very unwelcome sensation to shoot down my body, which I was obviously not going to do anything about. _Penelope Park’s affect on me is growing stronger and I have no idea how I felt about it._ Just before ending my shower, I switched the temperature from hot to cold and as soon as the ice cold water hit my skin, that sensation I felt earlier, left my body. _Thank god._

Once I was dried off, I slipped on my laid out clothes and packed my used clothes into a separate laundry bag. After packing my things back up I made my way back downstairs to put my things away in the second bedroom. I didn’t run into Penelope on the way down and she was no longer in the kitchen. Maybe she was out on the balcony, so I made my way to the fridge to take my ice cream out, then walked out onto the balcony. I froze in place when I saw her relaxing in the hot tub, arms spread out and her head tilted back, looking up at the stars.

“Hey.. shower’s free.” I said quietly as I approached her but I didn’t keep my eyes on her. Instead, I looked up as well, admiring the night sky as I took in bite after bite of my ice cream. I could hear her step out of the hot tub but I kept my eyes on the sky. I was not going to allow another image of her to infiltrate my mind. She walked past me and slid the door open to go back inside but before she did she called my name.

“Hey Jo?” She said softly. It would be rude not to look at her while she was talking to me, so reluctantly, I peeled my eyes away from the sky and glanced at her. She had a towel wrapped around her but she was still glistening from the water and her hair was still dripping. No matter how much I fought it, I was attracted to her and I was discovering that I wasn’t just attracted to her looks but her heart as well. If she kept opening up the way she was, I knew I was done for. I would fall completely and it would be a crash landing.

“Yeah Pen?” I answered using the nickname I used to call her before we had our fall out. She smiled, like she had been waiting a lifetime for me to call her that again.

“Thanks for taking a risk with me.” She smiled before she slipped back into the suite and ascended up the stairs. I watched her before she disappeared out of view and once she was, I let out a breath I was apparently holding in. I smiled thinking to myself, _thank you for convincing me to take a risk._ I continued eating my ice cream until my bowl was empty. I took in the view of the city and sky one more time before I went in and cleaned my dishes.

I didn’t see Penelope the rest of the night but not because I didn’t want to. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave this bedroom. I laid awake, tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep but every time I managed to even get close to falling asleep, images of Penelope flooded my mind and once again that warm sensation started manifesting in the lower half of my body. I was not going to take care of it, not in this bed, not when Penelope was right upstairs. No, I had to keep pushing these thoughts aside, I had to focus on something else. Thankfully, the exhaustion of having to keep my hands from wandering to my aching core, finally put me to sleep.

Sleep was also my enemy because I was suddenly thrust into a world full of fantasies. Where Penelope’s hands and lips were all over me, and mine all over her. My mind swirled as we tore each other’s clothes off, gripping the other as close as possible. Not leaving any space between us, her flesh against mine, her lips tracing their way down my body, inching closer and closer to the very place I needed to feel her. My entire body shivered in anticipation with the image of her devouring me, claiming me as hers. With every passing second, my body ached for more of her, I just couldn’t get enough. Just as I was about to feel her lips against my hot and throbbing core, I was jolted out of my dream and into reality to the sound of my alarm going off. _Are you kidding me?!_

“Ugh..” I groaned, tossing the sheets off of me and sliding out of the bed. My whole body was soaked in sweat and still shivering from the intensity of that dream. I really didn’t want it to end. Unfortunately we needed to get going so I couldn’t afford even another minute of sleep. As I slumped over to the bathroom, gathering a fresh pair of clothes on the way, I took a look at myself in the mirror and was embarrassed at what I saw. I was obviously sex crazed and there was no way I was going to let Penelope see me like this. It would be the end of my life if she saw me in this state. I quickly peeled off my clothes and hopped into the shower, turning it on the coldest setting. I nearly screamed at what felt like icicles hitting my skin but I held it in as best I could. So instead of a scream escaping my lips, I managed to keep it down to yelp. A couple minutes in the freezing cold water and all my sexual cravings disappeared. For now at least.

Once I was done getting dressed and packed, I made the bed out of habit then left the room. As soon as I walked into the hall, my nose was hit with an amazing aroma. Did Penelope order room service? I continued on my way and stopped when I saw Penelope in the kitchen, making waffles and buttering toast. This girl continued to amaze me. I tried to hide my smile but it probably came out as a grimace, which was totally unattractive.

“Morning. I thought we’d have some breakfast before we head out. First tour is in about 3 hours and we’ve got about an hour’s drive ahead of us.” Penelope said as she went to salt the eggs that were just about done cooking. I dropped my bag and made my way over to her to help put the food onto plates.

“So you made waffles, eggs and toast. No bacon?” I looked at the food she cooked and noticed there were no meat options for her.

“Nope, I didn’t feel like going through the extra work to cook something only I’m going to eat.” She answered then twirled around to grab the coffee pot behind her along with two coffee mugs.

“Coffee?! Now we’re talking.” I said excitedly, we both laughed at my enthusiasm as she poured us both a cup. Hey what can I say, I love my coffee. We both dug into our food after that and everything was delicious. I’m actually still shocked at the fact that Penelope made breakfast, like actually made it and didn’t pay for it to be made by someone else.

“These waffles are amazing.” I said as I took another bite. Penelope smiled, her mouth full with waffles and eggs.

“It’s my grandma’s recipe. She taught me how to make it before she passed away last year because she knew how much I loved them.” She told me and I could see the sadness in her eyes before she blinked it away and regained her composure.

“I remember your grandma. She always snuck in an extra full sized candy bar into our trick or treat bags on Halloween. I never got to tell you but I’m really sorry about her passing.” I reached my hand out to hold hers and she let me. I squeezed softly to let her know I meant it. I remember when my mom told me that Penelope’s grandma passed, a wave of sadness and sorrow came over me because regardless if we were mortal enemies at that point, I never wished that kind of pain and loss on anyone.

“Thanks Jojo.” She smiled at me before pulling her hand away and continuing to eat her food. We finished our meals in silence and I volunteered to clean everything up so she can get dressed and packed up. Cleaning up was fairly easy and I was done before Penelope came back down, so I decided to lounge on the couch and watch some tv until we were ready to leave. I checked my phone to see if I had missed any urgent messages or calls but I hadn’t, except for an angry text from Lizzie about Landon being an incompetent muppet and messing up the layout of the set because he was reading the blueprint upside down, so they had to spend an extra night reversing their work and putting everything where they needed to be. I snorted after reading through her text.

“Well isn’t that a cute snort you got there.” Penelope’s voice came from behind me and I nearly jumped out of my seat.

“Jeez Pen! Don’t sneak up on me like that.” I told her as I shut off the TV then made my way back over to my bag. She laughed at me but I smacked her arm on the way to my bag for good measure.

“Why? Afraid I’d catch you doing something you shouldn’t be doing?” She smirked and my heart stopped. _Did she know about my dreams last night?_ No, no of course she doesn’t. She can’t know. I chuckled trying to play it off.

“No, it’s just not polite to sneak up on someone.” I told her as a matter of factly.

“Yeah well, that would entail me caring about being polite.” She smirked again and I just about melted right then and there because I looked directly at her damn smirk. I nodded because I couldn’t come up with a come back, so instead I just picked up my bag and walked towards the door.

“Pick up the pace Park, we’ve got a tour to get to.” I said as I walked out the door and for the first time since that night two years ago, she was the one following after me. And it felt really good.


	6. The Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The museum. It's supposed to be an educational visit. There's no possible way Josie could find herself in any kind trouble, right? Not after things seemed to be smoothing over between her and Penelope. Not when they'll be pre-occupied with an all too cheery tour guide. Right? Unless.. maybe education wasn't actually the reason for this trip in the first place. Can Josie keep it together or will she be back at square one before the day even gets started?

The drive over wasn’t long at all. Not with us burning through topics of “do you remember that party at Kaleb’s last year” or “Jed and Rafael are definitely going to be prom kings” and “do you think Hope and Landon will get married before Lizzie and MG will?” Sitting there in the passenger seat of Penelope’s car, having these normal conversations, felt surreal. I forgot how effortless being around Penelope could be like. Effortless and natural. I let my pain get in the way of our friendship, I let my jealousy burn the bridge between us but that wasn’t the reason why we completely stopped being friends. Ever since Penelope apologized, I was starting to think that maybe the reason why I felt so betrayed wasn’t because of Penelope spilling my secret crush, but maybe it’s the fact she didn’t come after me when I left. She didn’t try to explain herself, she just gave up. Penelope never gives up but she did with me. With our friendship.

“Pen? Can I ask you a question?” I asked as we sat on the bench waiting for the tour to begin. We had arrived a half hour early with Penelope’s driving and it didn’t take long to sign up for the tour.

“Sure, what’s going on behind that pretty little mind of yours Jojo?” Penelope answered as I glanced over at her. She was leaning back, hands pressed against the bench with her left leg crossed over her right, causing her skirt to slide a little further up, teasing me with that extra bit of tender skin of hers.

“Why didn’t you come after me?” I asked, feeling my nerve slipping away. Now that the question left my lips, I didn’t want to know the answer. Maybe it’s because she felt like her life was better off without me. Maybe it’s because I was just dead weight, holding her back. I don’t want her answer to be that I was a disappointment. I can’t handle that, not from her, not now, not ever.

“I thought it was obvious…” Penelope looked over at me with an incredulous look on her face. _What was obvious?_

“What was obvious exactly? The fact that you wanted Alyssa to yourself and that’s why you blew my secret? So you could get me out of the way?” I asked, feeling my cheeks begin to burn with fury. _Was it really that obvious that she was willing to do anything to get what she wanted, including ruining our friendship?_

“ _Alyssa?_ You thought I wanted _Alyssa_? I knew you were a little naive back then Saltzman, but I thought that maybe you’d figure out that-” Penelope began to answer me but was cut off by our tour guide arriving to start. _She didn’t want Alyssa?_

“Hello everyone! My name’s Chad and I’ll be your tour guide this morning. Before we get started, if you haven’t already please go ahead and clip on the nametags the folks at the ticketing office provided you with. A few rules before we head out to the first exhibit, please stay with the group throughout the entirety of this tour and if you have any questions at all please speak up, don’t be afraid to ask. Lastly, please pair up with a buddy just in case you do get separated from the group. Now then, our first stop will be the Cold War exhibit.” Chad, our annoyingly cheery tour guide, started off in the direction of the exhibit with a small number of other tour participants. I glanced over at Penelope who quickly followed after the rest of the participants. _What did she mean? What was there to figure out?_ I sighed and caught up to the group, staying silent. So much for effortless and natural.

The exhibit was full of ballistic missile replicas, model aircrafts, photo galleries and small artifacts that archaeologists have recovered and collected since the Cold War ended. I was learning little facts about the events that took place that brought on the war, why certain events happened, small facts about bigger fallouts being prevented, none of which is ever discussed during class or in our textbooks. Soon I started getting lost in the exhibit, taking in all this new information, relishing in learning new things about a topic I thought I knew everything about.

“Having fun?” Penelope’s voice interrupted me while I was in the middle of reading about the different aircrafts that were used in the war.

“I am. What about you, are you having fun learning about all of this? That’s the whole point for this trip isn’t it? For you to be able to actually grasp the information, since textbooks and boring sessions aren’t worth your while.” I told her, remembering my fury from earlier, letting it fill me up again. I don’t like it, I don’t want to be angry with Penelope, not when we made so much progress. Why did I have to go and open my mouth? Why did I have to burn yet another bridge between her and I?

“I didn’t just come here to learn about all this history stuff, Jojo. I could’ve made my way up here any other day of the week. Hell, I could’ve bought a plane ticket up here and attended these tours on my own.. but I didn’t. I came here with you instead. You really are so naive sometimes and I adore that about you.” She told me with a gentle but scrunched smile before turning and following after our guide and the group that was already heading into the next exhibit. _But I didn’t_ , her words were repeating in my mind. If she could’ve come here on her own, why did she drag me here? _I came here with you instead._ Why did she bring me with her? _Why me of all people?_

“Hey, Park!” I ran up to her and caught her wrist before she could fully catch up to the group. She stopped and turned to face me, her eyes pierced right through me. They weren’t hard or cold or menacing or malicious. They were the opposite of all that. They were soft and gentle and sincere and… _everywhere._ In this moment, with her intense green eyes on me like that, like they’re full of complete adoration _for me_ , like they’re _yearning_ for me, Penelope felt _everywhere._ The feeling made me dizzy and drunk and high all at once. _Penelope was everywhere and she was overwhelming._ I couldn’t move, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t _breathe._ I just couldn’t. All I could do was hold onto her wrist, tightening my grip.

“Why?” It was all I could say, the only question my mind was swirling with. _Why?_

“Because I _wanted_ to come _here_ with _only you_ Jo, why else?” Penelope answered as if it was the easiest answer in the world. Plain and simple. But how could something like this be plain and simple? What was I missing? Before I knew it, her arms had reached to steady me before I could lose my balance, as if she knew I needed her to keep me from falling. Instinctively, my arms found hers and were pulling her to me, or was I pulling myself to her? Or was it the other way around, was _she_ pulling me into _her_? I honestly couldn’t tell the difference anymore.

“I.. I..” I stammered and looked away, looked down at our feet, not able to look into her eyes any longer, not being able to take in that amount of.. _what was it? What was that look in her eyes? What was it she was trying to convey?_ That’s when I noticed it. The familiar loose brick in the otherwise expertly crafted brick floor. I stared and felt Penelope’s gaze on me. She brought me here for a reason and _this_ was the reason. I untangled myself from her and knelt to the floor, popping the brick up and revealing a hidden compartment inside of it. Inside of this dusty compartment was a small tin box that Penelope and I left behind when we were 10 years old. How could I forget that I’ve been here before? That we came here for our 5th grade overnight trip with the rest of our class. How could I forget that Penelope and I snuck away from the group to come into this exhibit, back when it was the dinosaur exhibit, to get another look at one of the fossils because I was damn sure it was a fossil of a unicorn while she was damn sure it was a fossil of a dragon? How could I forget about that? About _this?_

“Do you remember when we hid that?” Penelope asked as I put the brick back into place and stood up, holding onto the tin box protectively. I nodded and immediately a smile spread across my face with the memory of it all. Us hiding behind the triceratops bone structure because museum security came walking in to make sure no one was in here since the exhibit was supposed to be closed for the rest of the day. Us holding tightly onto each other, trying to stifle our laughter and steady our loud racing hearts, for fear of the trouble we’d get into. Us crawling into the little crevice between the base of the structure and the corner of the wall in an effort to continue to stay hidden when the security guard started shining his flashlight around the exhibit. Penelope spotting a loose bone on the side of the base and gallantly crawling around to grab it and take it back as a souvenir. Penelope almost being caught if it weren’t for my quick thinking to boldly toss an empty water bottle on the opposite side of the room to distract the guard. Me pulling out _this_ tin box I had in my bag that once used to house a deck of cards from the museum gift shop, which Penelope had bought for me earlier that day, and offering it to Penelope to keep her little illegal souvenir hidden from the rest of the world. Us crawling around the rest of the exhibit to try and get to the exit without being caught and coming across the loose brick on the floor. Us deciding to leave the dinosaur bone behind, hidden under this loose brick and promising to come back for it one day when we got older.

“I remember.” I looked at her and found her face mirroring mine with just as wide a smile.

“Open it.” Penelope said and it took me a moment to realize what she was talking about. I imagined opening the little box and finding a small bone structure from the triceratops we hid behind all those years ago. It was still in there but that’s not what caught my eye. Underneath the little token of our adventure, was a piece of folder paper. I gently slipped it out, making sure to keep the dinosaur specimen hidden from prying eyes. Throughout this entire trip, Penelope made my heart stop on multiple occasions, or stunning me so strongly that I forgot the importance of breathing. The roles were suddenly reversed, I didn’t hear Penelope holding her breath but I knew she was. I could feel her strong and confident demeanor shrinking smaller and smaller with each unfold of this fragile piece of paper. This delicate piece of our past that I had long forgotten, but she hadn’t.

_“I, Penelope Park, and I, Josette Saltzman, do solemnly swear to always be best friends and to keep having adventures like this one.”_ I read out loud before reading our messy signatures silently in my head, my voice wavering, not from sadness but from pure joy at discovering this lost artifact of how much we meant to each other. No not meant. How much we _mean_ to each other.

Everything was starting to make sense now. Ever since that night, everything that happened between us, happened because of fear. Because we forgot about taking risks. About taking risks, _together._ We let fear separate and tear us apart. We let fear keep us away from each other. Fear of experiencing pain, fear of disappointment, fear of rejection, fear of no longer mattering to each other. But it didn’t have to be that way, not anymore, not ever. Because she would always mean something to me and I would always mean something to her. _That_ , was plain and simple. It was always plain and simple, we just over-complicated it. Over-complicated us. Penelope brought me here because she figured it out before I did. Museums are meant for preserving history and culture. That’s exactly what this tiny box, hidden inside of a secret compartment, under a loose brick anyone could’ve stumbled upon, did. It preserved _our history, our culture, our essence._ This tiny tin box with an extinct dinosaur’s toe bone and a promise made long ago, preserved _US._ My heart lurched in my chest and my breath hitched at that word. It had finally dawned on me and it really was that obvious.

“You never wanted Alyssa.. did you?” I whispered as I folded the paper and carefully slipped it back into the box, not wanting to tear it, and shut the lid. I looked at her and for the first time I understood why my heart was fluttering. I understood the feeling I was holding back and I was cursing at myself for holding myself back all along.

“No Jo.. I never wanted Alyssa. I was jealous of her. You were going to let her have a taste of you when _I_ was the one that wanted you that night. I’ve _always_ wanted you.. and I’m so sorry for betraying you and for not coming after you. I’m sorry, for everything.” Penelope's voice broke as she spoke. She was trembling and letting her tears fall, something she never wanted anyone to see because she always saw it as a sign of her weakness and vulnerability. I tucked the box into my jacket pocket so I could wrap both my arms around her waist, and press my palms fully against her lower back, to pull her into me. Our foreheads touched lightly just as the rest of our bodies meshed together. Her arms found their way around my waist as well and at that, I let all thought and caution leave my mind. I leaned in and lightly kissed her tears away. I did it because I wanted to, because I wasn’t thinking anymore, I was just _feeling._ And it felt like that was what she needed.

“I’m sorry too..” I whispered and closed my eyes as we stood there in each other’s embrace. _I’m sorry, for everything._ All those years holding onto my anger and betrayal because of the crater sized void Penelope had left me with, it instantly disappeared. That crushing weight of anger and fury and hurt, finally lifted. I was weightless and I was full. I didn’t care about the museum patrons passing by. I didn’t care when the security guard started to shoo us away from the main exit of the exhibit. I didn’t care about the money we spent on a tour we weren’t even partaking in anymore, because truth be told, even if we never made it to another exhibit today, the trip here was absolutely worth it. Penelope was worth it. _I’m sorry too._ A tide washed over me and everything felt different. Everything _was_ different. 

“Do you wanna get outta here?” I asked as we walked hand in hand towards the main entrance hall but before we could reach it, Penelope shook her head and tugged me towards the nearly deserted Nebula exhibit. That mischievous grin of hers creeping back on her lips caused every ounce of heat in my body to burn up but this time, I didn’t cast it aside. I let it fill me up. That’s when I realized it, that grin of hers? It was reserved for me. _Only me._

Curiosity took over so I allowed her to lead the way. It took me a moment but I finally understood that we were sneaking in through the back way into the planetarium. Just like when we were 10, we snuck back into the planetarium the same way we did back then, pretending to be part of the crowd leaving the session showing but then at the last minute, turning back in before the doors closed behind us.

We found our way to the row just below the projector so that any museum employee who might glance in to see if the room was still empty, wouldn’t see us. We were both much taller now though, so we did have to slouch and slump into the seats. Me a lot more than her but I wasn’t complaining. We leaned against our seats, tangled our arms around each other and laced our fingers together. If it felt like Penelope was everywhere before, it was barely anything compared to right now. All we did was hold onto each other, it was innocent, we were innocent. But the more we embraced, the more I lost sight of where I ended and she began. I hadn’t noticed I let my eyes roam all along her, but Penelope sure did. My cheeks flushed violently at being caught in the act of admiring her.

“Hey.” She whispered as her forehead pressed to me and her nose grazed against mine. The soft and innocent touches were such small gestures but everything about them felt infinite. Just like the stars in the ceiling, even though they were just a projection, a trick of light and shadows, everything happening between us felt vast and enormous and full of possibilities.

“Hey.” I smiled and whispered back, turning my head slightly and accidentally brushing my lips at the corner of her mouth. _Should I? Should she? Should we?_ I wanted to kiss her last night but I let fear stop me. Nothing was stopping me now.. except, _did she even want me to?_

“Jo…” Penelope exhaled and I almost didn’t catch it but before I could answer, she continued on.

“Can.. can I-” Penelope started but I cut her off almost immediately. She was being gentle, she was thinking about me, wanting my consent, making sure I was okay with everything that was happening.

_“Yes, please, yes.”_ I whispered with a sense of urgency and barely had time to catch my breath before we closed whatever space there was left between us. Our lips touched and it was fire and air and water all at once. This kiss was scorching hot like the sun. It was calm and serene like the moon. Kissing Penelope was my new gravity. Our lips parted just moments after touching and it was everything. We rested our heads against each other and looked up towards the starry ceiling, watching the images of the stars continue to move on by.

Sometimes a moment happens upon us and it’s so remarkably perfect that it’s powerful enough to carve out a space in time and spins there, while the rest of the world rushes on by. This was one of those moments. Because, though it was brief, so much of a kiss is the moment before your lips touch, and before your eyes close. When you’re filled with the sight of each other, and with the compulsion, the pull, and it’s like.. It’s like finding a second treasure in a tin box when you’re expecting to only find one. At least that’s what a kiss with Penelope was like. That no matter how brief, it’s a magical story wrapped up and waiting to be discovered, to bring you a miraculous interruption of the mundane.

“So..” Penelope said after the last slide ended and shifted slightly in her seat. I didn’t want to leave but we had to sneak back out before the next group of museum patrons made their way in to learn about our wonderful galaxy.

“Um.. we should probably go through at least 3 more exhibits, get you ready for your upcoming tests so they can officially let you back on the team.” I cleared my throat and stood up reluctantly but of course she had other plans and immediately pulled me back down into my seat. Like I was hoping she would.

“Wait, before we go..” She smiled and leaned in, pressing her lips to mine once more. _Gravity._

“Mmm..” Was all I could say. It was all my brain could string together after being turned to mush from her kisses.

“Come on Saltzman, let’s go get my grades up.” She said just after we parted lips, dragging me along with her as we snuck back out into the main hall of the museum. Our hands gripping each other’s with our fingers intertwined so tightly. Both of us never wanting to be separated again.

The rest of our museum adventure consisted of us passing by each exhibit, reading through the details of important artifacts, me quizzing her on the more major facts featured in each exhibit, while also simultaneously fighting the urge to just crash my lips back to hers. We snuck in a few more tender and innocent kisses here and there. Just enough to tide us over until we could be alone, away from curious glances. It was just after lunch when we finished going through the Hall of Presidents. I was absolutely famished at this point and I could tell Penelope was too, so once we climbed back into her car, she drove off rather quickly, curving and zipping her way through the busy streets. My hand found hers again and as soon as they clasped together, her lips were planting light and tender kisses on the back of my hand.

“Is this okay?” Penelope asked with her lips still grazing my skin. I answered by leaning in and kissing the back of her hand in return.

“Yes.” I whispered, just in case she didn’t get the memo. It’s funny to think how easy saying that word was becoming. I held her hand in my lap and watched as she took another turn down a longer stretch of road that was almost clear, except for some bikers that were pulling into a local pub.

“Where are we eating?” I asked when I heard Penelope’s stomach grumble with hunger.

“Well.. what’s the one junk food we LOVE, but we could never get whenever Lizzie is around?” Penelope laughed at the thought and immediately I knew exactly what she was talking about. I’ve always resented Lizzie for banning pizza from our family’s diet. I never understood why a supreme pizza was so awful for us to have. I mean there’s the protein, the dairy, the veggies and the starch, all the major parts of the food pyramid. Not to mention that you could have it hot or cold, at any time of day or night, and it would be heaven no matter what.

“If you’re thinking what I’m thinking then we’re getting some to go as well because there’s no way I’ll be able to satisfy my craving in one sitting.” I told her just as we pulled into the pizzeria parking lot. My mouth was already beginning to water and I made no effort to hide my excitement.

“Let’s go!” I said earnestly and practically threw myself out of the car and sprinted through the doors. Penelope snuck up next to me as I was already taking note of all the toppings this place had. Her fingers grazed against mine but she didn’t move to grab my hand. Only Penelope could make me avert my attention away from pizza.

“Hey, you okay?” I asked her as she nodded and looked down to our hands.

“May I?” She asked and I chuckled as I took her hand in mine.

“Yes. With you, it’s always yes.” I told her as she squeezed my hand back.

“Always?” She asked nervously and bit her bottom lip. I nodded with a smile.

“Always.” I confirmed without hesitation. With that, the host came by and brought us to a booth so that we could enjoy the best meal of our lives.


End file.
